Imitation tree.



.7 No. 843,712. PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907.

E. A. STRAUB.

IMITATION TREE.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 1a. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

amen/06 wi imaowo No. 843,712. PATBNTED FEB. 12, 1907. E. A. STRAUB.

IMITATION TREE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET? 2.

awwmtoz To all whom it may concern:

S NITRED s rn'rns E'NG LB iR'r si'rnan n,

' tilvinAi'i rat o or RopNEY, MiciiIeAN;

Specification or IiettersiPatent I I I.

v iipplicationfiled fleptenlher13,1206. ser elnofssabes."

Be it known that I, ENGELBERT A. smite,

a citizen of the United States, residing atRodney, in the county of Mecosta and Stateof Michigan, have invented certain new and usef iul Improvements in Imitation Trees;'and I I and exact description '0 the invention, sflchas'will enable others skilled m the artto v zc which it appertains to make and -use'th6 do declare the followin to be a full,jclear,

I same.

This invention relates to artificial'trees for? use as Christmas tr'ees'at Christmas and upon other festive occasions.

- The object of the invention to lead, a.

device of thischaracter which when not in use may be readily collapsed to occupy but littles ace.

Wit the above and other objeets-in'view the invention consists of certain novel fee-,1

, tures'of cpnstruction,combination, and are base 1, a staii or stem 2, anda plurality of.

rangement of parts, as will be, here'inat'te'r described and claimed.-

- In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is aside elevation; of the improved artificial tree. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same,.

showing itsin its closed position. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view. --Fig.f 4 is a vertical section through the top of the tree. Figs. .3

5 and 6 are detail views of the annular head of one one of the foldable sections, andFi'gs.

7 and 8 are detail views of the slidingsleeve or runner of one of said sections.

detail sectional view taken on line 9 9 of Fig. 1

The improved artificial tree comprises a.

superposed foldable frame-sections 3, which 'point of intersection. At the top of thestafi 2 are removably secured by a screw .6 two crossed bars 7, which are of less length than the width of the uppermost frame-section3 when extended, so that the device as a whole when set up for use forms an upwardly-taperin frame upon which branches of trees and other decorations may be secured in any suitable manner.

Theframe sectio'ns 3 are identical inton struction. 'Hence a-description-ofone will Each comprises axplurality of foldablearrns or ribs 8, pivotally connected to a stationary head or crown 9, seemed-at a suitable point upon'the st'afl z'. 'Thearms" or ribs 8 are connected by braceslQtoa slid-.-

ling sleeve or runner '11,..whichtravelsupon the staff 2- beneaththe head Qandwhichco- 4 acts with a sprin '-catch" l2,- arranged,upon the staff 2'to hold extended. The head or' crown :9 is prefer the frame-section open or abl-yfin theforin 'of an annular'casting, in

which the stafi Qissuitably secured, havin in its bottom an annular-l groove or channe 7o 13to receive apivot-wire 14,-which supports the inner ends of the ribs 31in radial recesses 15, formed atsuitable points in said head. 1 These ends of the ribs are bent-outwardly to formhooks 16, 'Which'engage' the iv'ot-wire 14 and swing in therecesses115; The pivot f wire 14 isQretainedin-its annular groove or seat by forming aroundthe dg 'ofthe head 9 lugs 01' projections 17"and bending tho'lat ter inwardly, as clearly shown in the drawings. The runner or'sliding'sleeve 11' comprises acylinder formed, preferably, of sheet metal and secured at its top 'toen annular plate or ring l8,'which has a plurality of radially-extending'notches19 to receive the flattened and apertured ends 206i the braces 10. Around the edge of .the ring or plate 18 is forined an annular seat 21 to receive a pivot-Wire 22, whichpassesthroughthe a ertured ends of the braces. This wire ishe (1 in its seat by integral lugs-formed upon the late 18, which project outwardly, as shown; 1 he ring or plate 18 is'secured' to the cylindricalpOrtion of the sleeve llby crimping the latter around-the inner beaded edge "of the same, as'shown at 23; The :outer ends of the braces 10 are flattened and apertured to receiverivets'24, which project through alin ing apertures in spbaced cars 25, between which These ears I 00 said ends of the races project. are formed from a singlepiece ofheavy sheet metal, whichis bent upon itself and'crimped around one of the ribs 8, as shown at 26.,v

From theforegoing it will be seen that the frame-sections 3 are similar to umbrella-1 frames and that they may be raised and lowered by sliding the runners 11 upon the staff 2. When the runners are pushed upwardly and engaged with the catches '12, the framesections will be opened and supported in such I ro position, so that they may be suitably decorated with branches or the like. "When the device is not in use, it may be compactly folded and its top and bottom removed, so that it may be stored away in a comparatively small space.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention as deiined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the class described comprising a base, a staff projecting therefrom, crossbars removably secured upon the top of said stall, a plurality of foldable frame-sections superposed upon said stall, said frame-sections decreasing in size from the bottom up toward the top of the stafi', each of said frame-sections comprising a head fixed upon said staff, radial arms pivoted to said head and adapted to folddownwardly, a runner slidable upon said staff, braces pivotally connected with said runner and with said arms, and a sprin g-catch'for holding said runner in raised position.

2. A device of the class described comprising a base having cross-bars and a central socket, a staff removably secured in said socket, cross-bars removably secured upon the top of said stafi', a plurality of foldable frame-sections superposed upon said staff,

said frame-sections decreasing in size from the nesses.

ENGELBERL A. STRAUB. Witnesses:

E. F. KETCHUM, P. W. BREOKNEY. 

